Hezbollah, a key ally of Iran, has faced significant military degradation at the hands of Israel, but its ability to rebuild and pose long-term threats to the US and its regional allies remains a concern.
According to four sources briefed on updated US intelligence, Hezbollah is recruiting new fighters and exploring ways to rearm through domestic production and smuggling. The group’s stockpiles have been significantly reduced, with over half of its weapons lost during the conflict with Israel. However, Hezbollah still maintains thousands of short-range rockets in Lebanon and will try to rebuild using factories in neighboring countries.
US officials are worried about Hezbollah’s access to Syria, where it has used as a safe haven and transport hub. The group has long been involved in military equipment and weapons transfers through Syria into Lebanon. Washington is trying to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to limit Hezbollah’s operations.
Hezbollah’s resilience raises concerns about its ability to conduct command and control operations. Despite being “knocked back” in the short term, the group is designed to be disrupted, according to a US lawmaker. The US intelligence highlights the need for significant training challenges for years to come for Hezbollah fighters.
The updated intelligence also suggests that Iran’s military capacity has been reduced, raising doubts about its ability to use proxies like Hezbollah to attack Israel and other adversaries in the short term. This development presents an opportunity for Israel to directly target Iran without the same threat of reciprocity from Hezbollah.
Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-832020